Lenny Megliola: Celtics hope Sunday will be a day of rest

Lenny Megliola

Thursday

May 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMMay 29, 2008 at 1:44 AM

The hard-working Boston Celtics would really, really love to have Sunday off. There is a problem though. The just as hard working Detroit Pistons want to put in another three sweaty hours at the office Sunday.

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. It’s even better on the brink of June.

You can play 18 at your favorite golf course. You can hop on the bike and revel in the beauty of spring’s late glory. Or you can kick back, plop yourself in the hammock with an iced tea and a good book.

The hard-working Boston Celtics would really, really love to have Sunday off. There is a problem though. The just as hard working Detroit Pistons want to put in another three sweaty hours at the office Sunday.

Tonight, we’ll see who gets their wish.

It’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Palace at Auburn Hills. If the Celtics can get out of the Motor City with a win, they can start looking at Los Angeles Lakers film. If the Pistons prevail, both teams go back to work Sunday night at the Garden in a winner-take-all scenario.

“We can’t worry about if there’s a Game 7, we have to worry about Game 6,” said savvy Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups.

He spoke for both teams. The Celtics won’t take THAT much comfort in a Game 7 even though it’s in their building. That’s rolling the dice way too long.

Detroit threw a big scare to the Celtics on Wednesday night. The Pistons were down by 15 points early in the fourth quarter. The maniacal crowd screamed for blood. The Pistons had other ideas. They made a terrific comeback, making the outcome, 106-102, in doubt until the dying seconds.

In other words, the Pistons had a chance to take a 3-2 edge in the series going home. It had to be discouraging not to finish the comeback.

Billups was playing hurt. Detroit’s top scorer, Rip Hamilton, had his arm in a sling after the game. How much more could the Pistons absorb after spilling their guts?

“We’re not going away,” said a steely Flip Saunders, Detroit’s coach who could be fired if his team doesn’t win this series.

No one expects the Pistons to cave in, but Celtics fans can’t help thinking about their team playing in the NBA Finals. The Red Sox and Patriots have given New England plenty of thrills since the new millennium. The Celtics haven’t been in championship conversation in more than 20 years.

It might be asking a lot for Boston’s starters to be as spectacular as they were in Game 5. Coach Doc Rivers has lost patience with his subs, especially Sam Cassell. Cassell has been in the league since the ball was leather. He was brought in to be a veteran presence to Rajon Rondo’s callowness. Cassell has not played well lately. In Game 5, he played exactly two minutes and eight seconds, and the only number on his final stat sheet was one turnover.

In fact, the Boston bench scored only three points. Hard to believe a team scores 106 points and the starters are obliged to get 103 of them.

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen did their job. Rondo was awful (3-14) shooting the ball, but Rivers stayed with him for all but two minutes and 11 seconds. One of Rondo’s baskets was in the clutch, a hard drive late in the game. He also had 13 assists. At least he brought that to the table.

The surprise of the night? Easy. Kendrick Perkins with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Where did that come from, and is there any more left over? It’s asking a lot.

Rivers doesn’t want to hear any talk about the Celtics being one win away from the Finals, or that they have two chances to make it happen. It’s all about the Pistons tonight.

“We’ve got to have great focus and intensity,” said Rivers. “You know, (the Pistons) have won titles. They’ve been in this position before.”

Billups warned: “Our experience being in so many tough situations, and us being at home helps. We’re going to come out and fight and scratch and claw, do the things we’ve been known to do and try to get back (to Boston) for Game 7.”

He doesn’t want Sunday off. The Celtics would like to get at least nine holes in.

Lenny Megliola is a Daily News columnist. His e-mail is lennymegs@aol.com.

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